Chapter 44

*Some college years ago*

It was late fall in Brown University and the evening bustled with the thrum of anticipation as the annual Fall Fest gathered momentum. The university grounds became a patchwork of vibrant sights as chapters shifted from late summer narratives to tales wrapped in crisp parchment of fall. Laughter danced on the cool breeze that weaved between red-brick buildings and cast amber leaves in whimsical pirouettes to the ground.

A senior year Ethan and a sophomore Jackson found themselves in the heart of this revelry, standing outside the ivy-laced entrance of the old Assembly Hall, now ablaze with strings of fairy lights and pulsing with the beat of music that spilled out onto the steps. Underneath the glow, their sibling resemblance was more pronounced—their shared grin, the same skyward tilt to their chins. But still that undercurrent rivalry that always kept them just a fraction apart brewed in their midst—a silent battle of charm and wit, forged deeper by their mu